IVERSON WILL RETURN IN FEBRUARY

Iverson's longtime manager, Gary Moore, has said the player plans to have a lesion removed from his right leg in the United States and intends to rejoin his Turkish team in time for the playoffs.

On Thursday, Besiktas spokesperson Kursat Kaplan said Iverson will return to Turkey next month and undergo rehabilitation. Iverson, voted the NBA's Most Valuable Player in 2001, agreed to a $4 million, two-year deal with Besiktas after no NBA team offered him a contract.